Flash light



Patented Mar. 7, 1933 UNITEDl sTATEs PATENT OFFICE RATI'ON or NEW Yom;

Application led Jul'y 3,

This ,invention pertains to flashlights in general and in particular to a pocket flashlight having a lamp bulb under a protecting hood having a movable visor that covers the lamp bulb in one position and exposes it in another. v

It has been the custom heretofore to leave the lamp bulbs of pocket flashlights exposed,

and to provide such flashlights with special lamp bulbs intended to withstand the shocks to which such unprotected bulbs were subjected. Such flashlights are unsatisfactory on account of the high cost and inconvenience of providing special bulbs, and the fact that even with such bulbs the breakage is high.

Therefore, one object of this invention is to provide a pocket flashlight in which ordinary lamp bulbs may be used without danger of their being broken. Another object is to provide a simple flashlight -having but one moving part that protects the lamp bulb in one position thereof, and both exposes and lights the lamp bulb in another position thereof. Other aims, objects, and novel features, will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying illustration, in which:

l Fig. 1 is a vertical section of our improved flashlight with the visor in closed position;

Fi 2 is a similar view of the same with the visor in open position;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the same along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4; is a side View of the isolated hood;

Fig. 5 is a front view of the same; Fig. 6 is a side view of the isolated visor; Fig. 7 is a front view of the same, and; Fig. 8 is a section along the line 8-8 of Fig. 7 showing the form of the trunnions on the visor on an enlarged scale compared with the other figures of the drawing.

The prefered form of the invention illustrated by the attached drawing comprises a battery .of two dry cells 10 and 11 placed side by side so the opposite poles thereof are in contiguous relation. The lowermost poles of the cells 10 and 11 are both mechanically and electrically connected by a metal strip COMPANY, INC., A GRPO- FLASH LIGHT 1930. Serial N0. 465,669.l

12 that may be attached to the poles-by any suitable means such as solder. A rectangular sheet of insulating material 13 placed between the cells 10 and 11 serves to insulate them one from the other and at the same time support the sides of the flexible casing which will be described presently.

The casing comprises a formed cup-14 of' suitable paper enclosing the lower end of the battery cells 10 and 11; a sheet of flexible material 15 such as paper cemented to the outside of the cells 10 and 11, to the outside of the cup 14, and to the edgesv of the insulator 13; and a sheet of paper 16 having avdecorated outer surface cemented to the inner paper 15 and completely covering the sides of the cells. The depending skirt 17 of the metal hood 18 is supported by the upper end of the inner portion 15 and covered by the outer portion 16 of the casing, and it is preferably soldered to the upper end of cell 11 to hold it more securely in place. A washer 19 of insulating material such as paper impregnated with paraliin is placed around the central electrode 0f cell 10 between the upper end of outer conta' er electrode and the lower edge of skirt-1 to prevent electrical contact therebetween.

An angular lamp socket S is Iprovided having a horizontal portion 20 attached to the central electrode of cell 10 by suitable means such as solder, and a vertical portion 2l having an opening therein adapted to 'receive the base of a lamp bulb 22 soit lies in a horizontal position above the top of the battery cells. Attached to the upper end of cell 11 by suitable means such as solder is a flexible sheet metal conductor C having the central portion 23 bent angularly outward into the path of thefvisor, to be described later, and a downturned upper end 24; lying opposite the central terminal. of the lamp bulb 22.

HERMAN. G. GRAUBNER, 0F 1 The hood 18 has the left half of the domed top cut away to provide an opening through which the lamp bulb 22 is exposed, and an opening 25 at each side thereof to receive the trunnions of the visor.

yThe hood 18 is also provided with a metal visor 26 substantially the shape of the cut 10 and 11 and the lamp bulb 22.

away portion but slightly smaller so it swings or is disposed therein. The visor 26 is provided with a trunnion 27 at each side thereof which is formed by pressing a portion of the metal wall outward so it fits in one of the openings 25; an outturned lip 28 at the lower left hand edge by means of which the visor may be manually raised and lowered; and a detent 29 near the top which is formed by pressing a portion of the metal wall upward in such a position that it bears against the top edge of the hood 18 when the visor is in closed position and prevents it from moving to open position by its own weight.

When the visor 26 is in closed position the lamp bulb is completely covered and thereby protected from external injury. When the visor is moved from closed to open position t-he upper edge thereof strikes against the angular portion 23 of the flexible conductor C and forces it to the left so that downturned portion -24: thereof is in electrical contact with the central terminal of the lamp bulb 22 thereby completing the electrical circuit through the battery cells Therefore, when the visor is in open position the lamp bulb is exposed and in a lighted condition, and when the visor is in closed position the lamp bulb is covered and in an extinguished condition. When the visor 26 is in open position it is retained by the pressure of the flexible conductor C, and when in closed position it is retained by the pressure of the upper edge of the hood 18 against the detent 29. Therefore, the visor remains in either closed or open position until manually moved.

When the visor 26 is in open position the path of the electric current is from cell 10, through the connecting strip 12, battery cell 11, flexible conductor C, lamp bulb 22, andA bulb socket S back to cell 10. As the lamp bulb is thoroughly protected any ordinary flashlight lamp bulb of suitable resistance may be used in our improved pocket flashlight without danger of its being broken, and as the visor is the only moving part the flashlight is extremely simple and rugged and not liable to get ,out of order during use. It is understood that our flashlight may be modified as to style and arrangement of the component parts, and that various equivalent materials may be substituted for those specified without departing from the invention or sacrificing any of the rights thereunder.

We claim:

1. In a flashlight; a battery having the electric poles thereof in contiguous relation; a hood covering said poles andhaving an opening therein; a lamp bulb carried by one pole of said battery; a movable visor closing -said opening in one position thereof and exposing said lamp bulb in another position thereof; a flexible conductor carried by the other pole of said battery in a position opposite one terminal of said lamp bulb and also in the path of said visor by which it is moved into contact with said lamp bulb to complete the electric circuit through said battery and bulb.

2. In a flashlight; a battery having the electric poles thereof in contiguous relation; a hood covering said poles and having an opening therein; a movable visor adapted for closing said opening; a bulb socket car-- lied by one pole of said battery; a bulb in said bulb socket; and a fiexible conductor carried by the other pole of said battery and adapted for being moved by the movement of said visor to close the electric circuit through said battery and bulb.

3. In a flashlight; a battery of two cells lying side by side with the electric poles thereof in contiguous relation; a casing of pliable material cemented to said cells; a hood carried bysaid casing over the poles of said battery and provided with an opening therein; a lamp bulb carried by one pole of said battery; a flexible conductor carried by the other pole of said battery; a movable visor closing the opening in said hood in one position thereof and flexing said conductor to a position where the electric circuit throughsaid battery and. bulb is closed in another position thereof.

l. In a flashlight; a bulb included in an electric circuit and having a contact member movable. to and from position yfor making and breaking the'circuit; a visor movable between positions for covering and uncovering the bulb; said contact being positioned to be operated for making the circuit by movement of the visor to bulb uncovering position; and interengaging means between the contact member and visor for holding both the visor in open position and the contact member in circuit making position.

' In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

HOMER W. J ONES.` In testimony whereof, I aliix my signature.

HERMAN G. GRAUBNER. 

